It's Been Awhile
by T2 Angel
Summary: Catwoman returns to Gotham after being away for a year. Batman finds her and they discuss their past and where they could go in the future. Title inspired by Staind song and explains of the same name. Set in the timeline established by "Batman: The Long Halloween", "Batman: Dark Victory", and "Batman: Hush."


**A/N: Hello, all! Welcome to a new one by yours truly!**

 **So, I am a HUGE fan of three Batman stories in particular:** **"Batman: The Long Halloween", "Batman: Dark Victory", and "Batman: Hush." There are MANY more that I love but those are some of my favorites. I had always thought that Batman and Catwoman's love was tragic and beautiful. True, they may never get the full on relationship and understandably so. I'm not knocking the writers for not doing it. It actually made the stories more compelling but I had this idea and decided to write it.**

 **Let me know what you guys think! Enjoy!  
**

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 **It's Been Awhile**

Catwoman swung from the rooftops and landed on top of the biggest high rises in the city. She took a deep breath a she took it all in. She was back in Gotham. She had been away a while and was starting to miss the city.

"Hello, Selina."

Startled, she turned around quickly, "Oh, God!"

Batman stepped out of the shadows of the roof. "It's been awhile."

She stared at him, completely shocked. "I just got back! How did you find me already?"

"I was looking for you. We need to talk."

Instantly, her anger over the last time she saw each other came back. She rolled her eyes and folded her arms. "Oh, do we? It's been a year. We went through hell and over half of your personal enemies then I say the word 'hush' and all of a sudden…"

"He broke me, Selina."

Catwoman stopped. "What?"

If she didn't know any better, she could've sworn she saw his shoulders lower a bit.

"Hush," Batman said. "Dr. Elliot. Tommy. He did it. All I've been through and this broke me. I'm ashamed of myself for it."

"You? Ashamed?"

"Do you remember, all those years ago, during the Hangman case?"

She stopped and thought back. "Of course. Sofia Gigante Falcone." She stopped. "My God. How long ago was that?"

"Too far back to count. Yet, somehow, not as long ago as you might think."

"No kidding. Anyway, what about it?"

He, slowly, walked toward the edge of the building. "When we… didn't know each other and everything went wrong, I couldn't tell you about myself. I lost you. I lost a lot. I was hunting the Scarecrow around the same time. I was exposed to his…"

"Fear gas." She exhaled.

"Yes."

"It made you distant."

"Yes."

She shook her head. It all made sense now, all of it. It actually did change quite a few things but not enough. "Well, that was then, Bruce. You weren't exposed to any of it because of Elliot." She stopped. "Were you?"

"Besides the moment he hit me with in the graveyard where they dug up Jason, no. I didn't come here to make an excuse."

"Then did you come here?"

"To apologize. To make amends for everything that went wrong." He paused. "To try again."

She stared at him. "I'm starting to think I got doused with fear gas."

"You weren't."

"Why the sudden change?"

"Not so sudden. It's been a year."

"And you didn't come look for me."

"We've both been preoccupied."

"How did you know I…" She groaned. "I hate it when you do that."

"I know."

She took a moment to consider what was being said. "If you're talking about giving this… _us_ another shot, you have to know that this isn't gonna be a cakewalk, Bruce. I'm not a damsel in distress and I won't be. I'm not your…"

"Do you know how long I've known you, Selina?"

"Do you know why I find this conversation necessary, Bruce?"

He paused and folded his arms.

She smiled. "I'll take that as a 'point taken.'"

"So, what do _you_ want, Selina?"

"From you? To make this work?"

He nodded.

"I don't want to be followed all the time. I won't be one of your little birds or bats. I won't be treated like a criminal because of my past. If we do this, I can and will walk away from that. Believe it or not, I've been trying to do that lately. A lot."

"I know."

"But you won't suspect me every time there's a robbery and I'm not near you or you can't account for my exact location at every given second."

"Deal."

"And I don't have to join any Justice League."

"That's a given."

She jerked her head back. "That was harsh."

"Did you really think that would be any other way?"

She smiled. "No." She sighed. "Above all else…"

He stared at her as she gathered herself.

"I just need you to trust me, Bruce. That's what I need from you."

"I understand."

She thought back to the last time they tried this. It was a rollercoaster then and it would be again. "Remember when I told you about the strings in your life?"

"Yes."

"We both have enough of that. And I won't be one that just ties you up." She sighed. "That's why I'm worried this won't work."

"I understand that fear."

"Yeah. So… knowing that and all that could go wrong… why did you come here? Why are we trying this? Even talking about it?" She sighed. "And why am I not leaving?"

"It's not going to be perfect. It will never be perfect."

"Understatement of the damn millennium."

"But we both already know that. This isn't a fairy tale ending, Selina. But… the night after you fought Lady Shiva, when Tommy… when Hush was hunting both of us, you kissed me."

"I did that a lot those months. Probably why I'm still here."

"When you did, the cave… it didn't feel as cold. Something about me changed."

She wanted to make a sarcastic remark. But something stopped her. Instead, she couldn't help but ask, "Good change or bad change?"

"Good."

"That Nightwing's opinion? Or Alfred's? Or…"

"It's mine. And none of them know I'm here right now."

"They… don't?"

"No. Because I made the mistake of not trusting you when we stopped Hush. That was my mistake. Not theirs."

"You admit to making mistakes?"

"If you only knew all of the mistakes I've made over my life. We'd be here for a week. You said we are who we are and that's why this works and that I should trust that." He removed his cowl. "I trust it, Selina."

She tried not to smile but she couldn't help it. She lowered her goggles down around her neck and pulled her hood back. "We are so screwed up, you know that, right?"

"Better than anyone."

She took a step closer to him, "And if we do this, all the rules before and the ones I mentioned apply. Along with some I'll make up as we go."

He smirked.

"And I really need you to trust me, Bruce. I won't say I'm completely done with who I was but I'm a long way from it."

"I understand."

"And… there's stuff about my past that you don't know. That you may not like."

"The same goes for me."

She smiled. "You drive me crazy."

He smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"It is."

She lifted up and kissed him. After their kiss, she stared into his eyes. She hated and loved the feeling she got from looking into them.

Selina smirked, "And if you make one cat joke referring to my…"

"As long you know the same goes for any bat jokes," Bruce replied. "At all."

"Then I think we've come to an understanding, Mr. Wayne."

"I believe we have, Ms. Kyle."

They were about to kiss again when a siren went off in the distance.

Bruce placed his cowl backed on and looked at Selina. "Mind if we continue this later?"

"Sure." Selina put her goggles and hood back on. "Let's take care of business and we can continue this. Say… at your place?"

"'We'?"

"I told you that I'm moving away from where I used to be. Time to be a hero."

"Batman and Catwoman? What will the papers say?"

"Probably 'how does he move so well staring at her ass in those tights'."

Batman smiled. "It's not as easy as you think."

Catwoman stopped and looked at him. "Really? Mrrrrrow…"

"Just watch yourself. After all, I can't come rescue you since you're not a damsel in distress."

She scoffed, "Please! If anything, I'll probably have to come rescue you."

Batman smiled, fired his cable line, and swung with Catwoman following right behind.

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 **A/N: Hope you guys liked it! REVIEWS!**


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